


Songbird

by dexstarr



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Animal Death, Azkaban, Bellamorte, Double Drabble, Drabble Sequence, Gen, It's Bellatrix what do you expect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-11-02 13:27:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10945437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dexstarr/pseuds/dexstarr
Summary: Bellatrix Lestrange will survive Azkaban.





	Songbird

**Author's Note:**

> _Harry Potter_ is not mine and no profit is made from this work. Written for the LJ community [slytherin100](http://slytherin100.livejournal.com/). Challenge: #134: Button.

***Winter, 1970***

 

“Bella?” His voice caressed her nickname lovingly, a sibilant whisper against the flock of incessantly cawing ravens.

She immediately obeyed the unspoken suggestion, sending a flash of sickly green light towards the irritating beasts. Her killing curse hit the biggest raven, effectively muting the loud _krak, krak_ that had so bothered her master.

The feathery body dropping to the frozen ground startled the remainder of the flock of sooty black birds; they scattered instantly, silently.

_“Accio.”_ The bird’s corpse landed in the Dark Lord’s death-white palm. He flicked his wand. The raven’s body disappeared, leaving only a pristine skull. _“Argentum Calvaria.”_ Silver erupted from the tip of his wand, washing the bone in a gleaming layer of metal.

Her eyes widened appreciatively. “It’s beautiful, My Lord.”

“A fitting trophy for my favorite follower.” He tapped the skull one last time, sending it to levitate in front of her. A black leather cord now dangled from it. Bellatrix fastened her prize around her neck, carefully positioning the pendant until the pointed beak rested in the hollow of her throat.

“I will treasure it always, My Lord.”

Lord Voldemort nodded, pleased. “Now, my sources have informed me that Alice Longbottom is expecting…”

 

 

* * *

 

***Winter, 1981***

 

Bellatrix Lestrange _will_ survive Azkaban.

The dementors may peruse her memories daily, gleefully sucking choice morsels into slack, skeletal mouths, but she has a continual source of renewal.

For, concealed in the left sleeve of her ragged prison dress, is a single tarnished button. The metal button is just as battered as her surroundings – the crumbling stone fortress that is Azkaban – but that just makes it less likely to be noticed. Without the button that hides just below her faded Dark Mark, she would descend to even darker, baser instincts; already, she sometimes teeters on the thin line between human and animal.

But that single, silver button is her secret weapon – transfigured from its original pendant form – her valued trophy from the Dark Lord. With it Bellatrix can recall every happy event at his hand, every _Crucio_ and _Avada Kedavra_ directed at Mudbloods and Muggles. She can replay the event that led to her arrest and imprisonment: the torture of the Aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom – a damn good night.

Bellatrix misses wearing the songbird’s silver skull around her neck, a proud declaration of the Dark Lord’s favor, but for now it is her salvation.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was originally written in July 2010.
> 
> Come visit me on [tumblr!](http://galacticcoyote.tumblr.com/)


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